Railroad-track gage



(No Model.)

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D SWEENEY RAILROAD TRACK GAGE.

UNITED" STATES FFlCE.

PATENT RAILROAD-TRACK GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,305, dated January 1 1, 1898. Application filed November 11, 1896. Serial No. 611,720. (No'morleL) T all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DENNIS SWEENEY, of Belleville, in the county of Republic, State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Track Levels, of which the following is a complete specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce a cheap, simple, durable, and effective instrument for leveling railroad tracks and for determining the superelevation of an elevated outside rail above the inside rail, as in railroad curves, for example. Implements of this character to be practicable must be simple and easily adjustable, so as to endure the rough usage to which they are necessarily subjected by the trackmen who employ them.

My invention is designed to meet all of the practical requirements of a tool of this class. In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a sectional view of a railroad, the face of both rails being in the horizontal plane with my level in position thereon. Fig. II is a similar view showingmy level in position and set for six inches superelevation of the outer rail. Fig. III is a view similar to Fig. I, showing the level in place with the elevation-beam removed. Fig. IV is a top plan view of a section of the level-board with level adj ustm entplate attached. Fig. V is an inside perspective view of the elevation-beam, showing a portion of the level-board in position and adj usted to a position intermediate of the positions shown in Figs. I and II, respectively.

Referring to the figures on the drawings, 1 indicates the level-board of my device, which preferably consists of a stick of wood of suitable length and of sufficient breadth and thickness to render it rigid Without imparting to it sufiicient weight to make it unwieldy. The level-board is shaped square, and its opposite edges should be straight and parallel. Upon one end of the board 1 Iprovide an elevation-beam 2, which, being made of metal-- as, for example, brass-41nd being channeled out to form side pieces 3, possesses great stilt ness and strength in proportion to its weight. The side pieces 3, which define the channel in the elevation-beam, are designed to fit snugly upon the opposite sides of the end of the leveLboard, so that when secured in place thereon, the end-of the board being properly entered into the channel, the elevation-beam may be firmly fixed thereto.

It is necessary to provide means for adjustably securing the elevation-beam upon the end of the level-board. The means which I prefer to employ consist of a bolt 4, provided with a winged head 5, the bolt passing through a longitudinally-disposed slot 6 in the face of the elevationbeam and entering alongitudi nally-disposed aperture formed in the end of the level-board screws into a nut '7, that enters a transverse recess provided for it in the level-board.

.I prefer to employ the bolt and nut described on account of their simplicity and durability and because they afford means for stripping the level-board of the elevationbeain whenever required and leaving it in condition for use as an ordinary level, as shown in Fig. III.

The elevation-beam is provided near its lower end, between the sides 3 within the channel, with a cross-piece 9, which serves as a stop to limit the nioveinentin one direction of the elevation-beam with respect to the levelboard and insures when such stop comes into engagement with the level-board that the rail-bearing of the elevation-beam shall be in the same horizontal plane as the rail-bearings of the level-board. Upon the face of the elevation-beam opposite the cross-piece 9 I provide a transverse oblong bearing-plate 10, preferably cast integral with the metallic beam and supported upon it by web-braces ll. Below the cross-piece 9 a lug 12 projects, forming in eiiect an extension of the elevation-beam. The bottom of the bearing-plate 10 is on a level with the top of the cross-piece 9, and is consequently in alinement with the lower edge of the level-board when the edge of the level-board is brought into contact with the upper face of the cross-piece, as shown in Fig. I. One side piece 3 is inscribed with a scalemeasure as, for example, a scale of inches and half-inches-beginnin g from a line opposite the upper surface of the cross-piece 9 and bottom of bearing-plate 10, the inches being plainly numbered from l to 6.

When both rails of a track are in the hori zontal plane, the parts being adjusted, as

shown in Fig. I, and laid upon the rail, the bearing-plate 10 resting on one rail and the level board upon the other, the bubble of the spirit-vial, with which the board is provided, indicates a level; If there is a superelevation of one rail, as shown, for example, in Fig. II, the bolt 4 is loosened by aid of the head 5 and the elevation-beam is adjusted until the bubble again indicates a level. Thereupon the line of graduation upon the side of the elevation-beam that is opposite the lower edge of the level-board indicates the degree of superelevation of the first rail over the other. In Fig. II the adjustment of the elevation-beam indicated upon the scalemeasure shows six inches superelevation of the outer rail.

The bearing-plate 10, being transversely arranged and longer than the width of the level-board, affords a broad base for the elevation-beam to rest upon and prevents tilting of the level-board when in use, the lug 12 preventing at the same time the movement of the instrument across the rails.

It is desirable in a practical tool to provide means for dispensing with the elevationbeamas, for example, when a considerable stretch of level track is to be resurfaced and leveled.

As above suggested, my invention provides means for stripping the level-board of all projections except the head 5 of the bolt, which is preferably retained in place, as shown in Fig. III.

I prefer to provide the level-board near its opposite ends with wearing-plates 13, which preferably consist of pieces of galvanized iron, whose opposite sides overlap a portion of the sides of the level-board and are secured to it, as by screws 14. The wearing-plates should be fitted snugly to the lower edge of the level-board, so as to afford resistance against wear in resting one end upon the rail, as shown in Figs. I and II, or both ends thereon, as shown in Fig. III.

Referring particularly to Fig. IV, 15 indicates a glass spirit tube or Vial which is set in a suitable recess in the upper edge of the 1evel-board and which exhibits the usual bubble 16. The vial 15 is surmounted by a faceplate 17, having a central bubble-slot 18,

through which the bubble 16 is visible, and a transverse line or center mark 19. 20 indicates longitudinal adjustment-slots located near the opposite end of the plate 17. 21 indicates screws which pass, respectively, through the slots 20 and into the level-board. By aid of the screws 21 the face-plate 17 may he slipped lengthwise upon the level-board for the purpose of correcting the level when necessary. The correction may be accomplished by loosening the screws 21 and placing the board upon supports that are known to be level. The center mark 19 is then adjusted to the center of the bubble and the plate secured by the screws 21. The correction may be also accomplished in the usual manner by reversing the level upon supports, taking the mean position between the two positions exhibited by the bubble and adjusting the center mark to that mean.

In the drawings rails are indicated by the numeral 22 and cross-ties by the numeral 23.

l/Vhat I claim is 1. In a track-level, the combination with a level-board having near its ends bearing-surfaces adapted to rest upon the opposite rails of the track, of an adjustable elevation-beam secured to one end of the level-board, and havinga bearing-surface adapted to rest upon one rail, and having also a stop which limits the movement of the elevation-beam in one direction, such stop being arranged as set forth, whereby when it engages with the levelboard it arrests the elevation-beam with its bearing-surface in the plane of the bearingsurfaces of the level-board, substantially as set forth.

2. In a track-level, the combination with a level-board, channeled elevation-beam, and means for adjustably securing the beam to the board, of. a cross-piece in the channel of the beam, and a bearing-plate upon the beam, the bottom of the bearing-plate and the top of the cross-piece bein gin alinement, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of all which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' DENNIS SWEENEY.

Witnesses:

J. M. KROYMOE,

J. A. LAOEY. 

